I’m going to begin today’s post a little differently than normal. You see, I’m simply luring you in with this ultra-fudgy raspberry cheesecake brownie recipe…

I want to pause for a hot second and show some gratitude.

Thank you.

To every single one of you who takes the time to read my blog. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for letting me be a small part of your day. I love reading your comments, your emails, your tweets, your messages… everything. I love getting to know you better and finding things we all have in common. Like our taste in awesome running music, hilarious movies, nail polish colors, and wine. It’s not just about cookies and cupcakes; personally connecting with you about real life things is icing on top of the funfetti cake.

Your thoughts and prayers the day our apartment flooded meant the world to me. Though I couldn’t respond to all of your comments, please know that I read every single one as we picked up the pieces and settled into a new home.

Perhaps it’s the upcoming sappy holiday or the fact that I’ve eaten too much sugar lately in the form of awkward conversation hearts. But, I really just want you all to know how thankful I am to call what I love my job. And I couldn’t make it happen without you.

Please accept these show-stopping brownies as a thank you. Your pants may get tighter, but your tastebuds will be grateful.

Ok, now for the reason you’re really here. Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies. In all their swirly, twirly pink beauty. They’re devilishly rich, undeniably dense, sorta fancy, and require a tall glass of milk to wash down all their decadence. Sweet, tangy raspberry cheesecake tempering the deep richness of a chocolate brownie. If you love raspberries and chocolate as much as I do, this diet-busting recipe is for you.

I used one of my go-to brownie recipes as the base. Though I have two different homemade brownie recipes that I love, I find that one particular recipe is best for cheesecake swirling. When I first tested my Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies last year, I used this brownie base. It did not work. It’s a solid homemade brownie recipe I make quite often, but its batter is much too thick for swirling.

Problem solved. I have found that this homemade brownie recipe, which uses pure chocolate, works like a charm. Still ultra chocolate-y and dense like the other recipe, but the brownie batter is easier to work with when you’re swirling. Make sure you use quality chocolate in this recipe (I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands). You can absolutely taste the difference.

Now, there are two main styles of brownies: cakey and fudgy. Today’s cheesecake brownies fit the description of fudgy the best. Want to know alittle brownie secretof mine? There are more wet ingredients than dry ingredients in this recipe. Less flour, more eggs, more butter. This is what makes them so fudgy! Ditch the box mix brownies now. This homemade version has none of the preservatives and so much more flavor.

The first step is to make your brownie batter. Don’t worry, it’s quite simple. After the batter is made, make your cheesecake batter. The cheesecake batter gets its raspberry flavor from jam. You could simply use 1/4 cup of pure raspberry puree if you prefer, but I find jam easier. Once your light pink cheesecake batter is thoroughly beaten and free of lumps, simply swirl it into the brownie batter. Easier said than done!

Here’s how I swirl: first, reserve about 1/4 cup of brownie batter and pour the rest into the baking pan. Then, simply drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter. Drizzle it all with the remaining brownie batter, take a sharp knife, and swirl.

The fresh raspberries on top are optional, but I used them to cover up any ugly swirls that didn’t quite look good. Raspberries: both delicious and functional.I would’ve snapped a pic for you, but I made these brownies at midnight. Don’t tell me you’ve never made a chocolate dessert at midnight before! I have yet to outgrow my college midnight munchies.

The brownies take about 35 minutes in the oven, give or take. All ovens are different, so don’t be nervous if yours aren’t done at 35 minutes. They’ll be ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I would check them at the 30 minute mark and test for doneness with the toothpick.

I’m not going to lie to you. Waiting for the brownies to cool before cutting is pure torture! I have the patience of a 2 year old in a candy store, so I let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes on the counter then stuck in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Creamy raspberry cheesecake colliding worlds with brownies that are so incredibly dense, they taste like fudge. Go ahead, take a bite. You certainly deserve them!

Follow me on Instagram and tag #sallysbakingaddiction so I can see all the SBA recipes you make. ♥

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

Yield:20 brownies

Prep Time:20 minutes

Total Time:55 minutes, plus cooling

Ultra fudgy homemade brownies swirled with creamy raspberry cheesecake and dotted with fresh raspberries. You won't be able to resist them!

Raspberry Cheesecake Layer

8 ounces (224g) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (50g) sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup (80g) raspberry preserves/jam1

raspberries for topping

Directions:

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside. Set out 8 ounces of cream cheese for the cheesecake layer and allow to soften as you prepare the brownies.

Make the brownies first:Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes). You may also stick the chocolate/butter mixture into the refrigerator to cool to room temperature quicker.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate/butter mixture until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, reserving 1/4 cup of batter.

Make the cheesecake swirl: With a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk, and raspberry preserves in a medium bowl until completely smooth - about 1 minute. If you'd like a pinker cheesecake layer, add 2-3 drops of red food coloring. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared brownie batter. Drizzle with the last 1/4 cup of brownie batter. Glide a knife through the layers, creating a swirl pattern. Press a few raspberries into the top.

Bake brownies for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean - which may be shorter or longer. Just keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick. Mine took exactly 35 minutes. Cover the brownies after 20 minutes to avoid the top from browning too much and too quickly. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting into squares, at least 4 hours. I set mine on the counter for 30 minutes, then in the refrigerator for 2 hours which sped up the process.

Make ahead tip: Brownies stay fresh stored in the refrigerator for 1 week - and may be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe Notes:

Use your favorite raspberry jam, seedless or not. Instead of jam, you may use 1/4 cup of raspberry puree.

You can use your favorite box brownie mix instead, but their flavor does not compare to homemade. Give homemade a try, you'll be glad you did!

166 Comments

These were amazing, I used gluten free flour and doubled the cream cheese portion. I also used strawberries that we picked and just mashed some up for the purée. I will be making these again and definitely try with raspberry next time but keep the double cheesecake layer, it made the brownie and cheesecake layers about even.

Wow! Did you really wait 4 HOURS to cut into these guys? I couldn’t. It was a genuine struggle not to spoon too much of the components into my mouth even before baking.

It’s hard to overstate how good these are. I Used only brown sugar and cut it to 100g forvthe dough and maybe two TBS for the cream cheese, leaving a very chocolatey base. I also added raspberries to the brownie base, which I strongly recommend.

Sally I’m a huge fan and this recipie tasted increadible, my only issue is that my cream cheese layer seemed to shrink and shrivel slightly towards the center. Is there anything I did wrong or what should I do next time

Worst brownie recipe ever. Sorry. I love so many of your recipes but the batter was way to thick. Pan way to big and the swirling just doesn’t work for me for such a thick batter. Big ol’ mess. Ended up throwing it away and not even baking it. Smh.

These were wonderful taste-wise but I attempted to make then in a 8×8 pan as I don’t have the one used for the recipe. They took AGES to bake and came out a bit tough on the edges because I had a hell of a time figuring out if they were done. I kid you not…they were in the oven for at least 2 hours haha. Still super delicious but I wouldn’t make them again unless I had the correct sized pan indicated in the recipe.

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I’m Sally, a cookbook author, photographer, and blogger. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake from scratch while providing quality recipes and plenty of pictures. Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun exploring! more about Sally